Lost our beautiful girl. Help?

[RiDaGeckoGuy]

I am sorry but are you saying that ‘stopping a heat lamp’ will kill them?

Hmmmmm wow! Glad my chicki-poos never died there 2 winters ago when I forgot to turn on the radiant heat for them one night when it went to -35c



As long as your chooks are not wet and not in a straight draft, they will survive quite well if the ‘heat goes out’.

I think many people are very confused about livestock and heat sources in the cold. Supplemental heat is a wonderful thing - it prevents cold stress in our chooks and helps them to remain happy and contented.

If the power does go out, just leave them in the hen house to maintain any warmth, don’t open doors, etc. their body heat will keep them warm and they will be fine as long as they are not wet or have direct drafts.

It’s all about common sense. We all know (here) that if we are stuck in our vehicles on the roadside in a blizzard that we are to stay in the vehicle, keep a window just barely cracked (you need fresh air), keep your wooly mitts and winter boots, toque and scarf on. Luckily the chooks are one up on us, they have a nice fuzzy feather duvet to wear.

One can only truly know how to deal with extreme cold climates until one has to live here.

(PS I hate winter BTW)

Personally I love winter and also it’s not an instant thing but they aren’t used to the cold and if constantly kept warm they will not have the resistance needed to last very long, you seem to have a lot of really good heat sources for them but I’ve read a lot of things where it weakens their resistance and don’t want to baby mine that much, from what I’ve read it seems like throwing someone from a place like the Bahamas where they’re used to the summer all year long in a fur coat in Alaska and expect them to mentally and I guess sorta physically from the shock of how cold it actually is

 

[BackyardinWales]

We don't use a heat lamp during summer and hadn't turned it on until recently. Their body adjusts through-out the seasons. Here we sadly get extremely hot summers and then extremely cold winters.

If we chose to not turn on a heat lamp during the winter and it was mild, they'll be fine. But sadly it gets very frosty and dry here; they are pretty much needed even though they give me anxiety. I'm always thinking their coop will catch on fire or something; I suffer with major anxiety but my husband promises me it's something everybody does here and I have seen it for myself and also asked anybody else who owns them. Plus his mother has owned them for 20+ years.

I am from the UK; so weather is much different, haha. I understand the worry of using them but in some places they're just needed or preferred.

Wow, to go from the UK to somewhere with -40 temps, that's brave. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Debbie292d]

Personally I love winter and also it’s not an instant thing but they aren’t used to the cold and if constantly kept warm they will not have the resistance needed to last very long, you seem to have a lot of really good heat sources for them but I’ve read a lot of things where it weakens their resistance and don’t want to baby mine that much, from what I’ve read it seems like throwing someone from a place like the Bahamas where they’re used to the summer all year long in a fur coat in Alaska and expect them to mentally and I guess sorta physically from the shock of how cold it actually is

Not long ago they were out in the 70's and 80's and then in the 40's at night.

Our coop is heated to 40F, and they can go out if it's 20F or higher without wind. They're fine in the snow, but it's nice for them to be in the coop if they get cold. Eight years and never one sick due to anything to do with weather, and these are silkies.

 

[Hollysaurus]

Wow, to go from the UK to somewhere with -40 temps, that's brave. Sorry for your loss.

It was a hard move, but since my now husband was here in the US and I was in the UK, then having to go through covid and being separated for 3yrs because of travel bans but still keeping together and being strong; I was all “nope” that ain’t happening ever again. So I chose to do the move.

& thank you. I feel like an idiot that I keep crying. But since me & my husband can’t have kids; it’s weird how it feels like I’ve lost one? We put so much love into Maple & Aspen; they were our first chickens. They were spoilt from the start with fluffy blankets and cuddles. They hardly left our side as chicks and they both got amazing character traits because of it.

i think that’s also the hardest thing. Some people don’t realize chickens have unique personalities so it then becomes more personal and heartfelt when losing one. Same with any animal you put your whole heart into.

 

[Hollysaurus]

She loved getting on our shoulder like a parrot.

 

[Hollysaurus]

Here is maple fast asleep in one of our many blankets for them.

 

[ManueB]

@Hollysaurus I'm sorry you lost your sweet Mapple.
I also had a very hard time when I dealt with my first chicken losses, even though they were not pets like yours. I found pet grieving support on the web and on social medias helped a bit, and talking to other chicken keepers who had learnt to deal with it in different ways. And poetry, like this well known grieving poem from Mary Oliver.
Keeping chickens is emotionally hard because inevitably some will die much too soon, and it will make you feel like you haven't done enough, missed something, or have been guilty for whatever reason. But most of the times, it is just that we are actually powerless. Chickens can get very serious health issues, viral, bacterial or cancer. And sometimes it's just about their genetics and not about anything you have done. Keeping chickens means having to learn to cope with loss, in whatever way is right for you.

I'm also sorry you have gotten some pretty harsh answers. Sometimes people tend to believe their own choices, experiences, or things they have heard repeated over the internet are factual or scientific truths. For example, feeding only commercial feed and no more than 10% treat is not a scientific truth, it's a cultural north american belief. In my country, France, the most common advice given is 1/3 forage, 1/3 human scraps, 1/3 commercial feed. This is not more true, it's just a different cultural belief / way of doing things. If you have any worry about FLS read very carefully reliable source such as this one to see if it could relate to your chickens. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultr...e/fatty-liver-hemorrhagic-syndrome-in-poultry

While an overload of worms could kill a chicken, it rarely does on it's own. And it seems to me that you would have seen the chicken grow gradually weaker ; not running for treats just a few hours before she passed.
My own experience of keeping a flock that has both tapeworms and roundworms, may not be typical, but it's that they can still be healthy with only minimal and individual deworming. Be sure as already mentioned if you use a dewormer, that it is one safe during moulting ; and be aware that if they do have a worm overload, deworming can sometimes be hard on their system by suddenly having all those dead worms to expel. If you can get a fecal float it would be best.

You've noticed your chickens have loss weight. Have you weighed them, or is this an impression? If you haven't, I would weigh them and check how the weight is evolving for the ones that worry you. Sometimes, chickens go off commercial food when they moult. I would also check that the amount of food they eat has not gone down significantly, and that there is nothing wrong with the food and the feeders.

And I would spend some time with them looking at their behaviour and symptoms. Loosing weight, diarrhea, combs changing colours, can all be attributed to various health issues, and even moulting. If you haven't already, do a full health check (if you're not sure what to include it's easy to find on the internet), especially crops, abdomens, and breathing. How are they acting ? Do they look uncomfortable, or actually sick ? How hard is their moult ?

You might find out more, but I agree that only testing can make you sure, or eliminate some of the most common virus. And even so. If Mapple's friends are only uncomfortable and unwell because they are moulting in very cold weather, you may just not find out why she passed.
Sending virtual hugs. Last, don't hesitate to write some kind of tribute post or show more pictures, if you feel like it. I've covered my rest room with pictures of my chickens who have passed.

 

[Ponypoor]

She loved getting on our shoulder like a parrot.

View attachment 3979980

That photo needs to go in the caption contest! That is so awesome!

 

[Ponypoor]

@Hollysaurus I'm sorry you lost your sweet Mapple.
I also had a very hard time when I dealt with my first chicken losses, even though they were not pets like yours. I found pet grieving support on the web and on social medias helped a bit, and talking to other chicken keepers who had learnt to deal with it in different ways. And poetry, like this well known grieving poem from Mary Oliver.
Keeping chickens is emotionally hard because inevitably some will die much too soon, and it will make you feel like you haven't done enough, missed something, or have been guilty for whatever reason. But most of the times, it is just that we are actually powerless. Chickens can get very serious health issues, viral, bacterial or cancer. And sometimes it's just about their genetics and not about anything you have done. Keeping chickens means having to learn to cope with loss, in whatever way is right for you.

I'm also sorry you have gotten some pretty harsh answers. Sometimes people tend to believe their own choices, experiences, or things they have heard repeated over the internet are factual or scientific truths. For example, feeding only commercial feed and no more than 10% treat is not a scientific truth, it's a cultural north american belief. In my country, France, the most common advice given is 1/3 forage, 1/3 human scraps, 1/3 commercial feed. This is not more true, it's just a different cultural belief / way of doing things. If you have any worry about FLS read very carefully reliable source such as this one to see if it could relate to your chickens. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultr...e/fatty-liver-hemorrhagic-syndrome-in-poultry

While an overload of worms could kill a chicken, it rarely does on it's own. And it seems to me that you would have seen the chicken grow gradually weaker ; not running for treats just a few hours before she passed.
My own experience of keeping a flock that has both tapeworms and roundworms, may not be typical, but it's that they can still be healthy with only minimal and individual deworming. Be sure as already mentioned if you use a dewormer, that it is one safe during moulting ; and be aware that if they do have a worm overload, deworming can sometimes be hard on their system by suddenly having all those dead worms to expel. If you can get a fecal float it would be best.

You've noticed your chickens have loss weight. Have you weighed them, or is this an impression? If you haven't, I would weigh them and check how the weight is evolving for the ones that worry you. Sometimes, chickens go off commercial food when they moult. I would also check that the amount of food they eat has not gone down significantly, and that there is nothing wrong with the food and the feeders.

And I would spend some time with them looking at their behaviour and symptoms. Loosing weight, diarrhea, combs changing colours, can all be attributed to various health issues, and even moulting. If you haven't already, do a full health check (if you're not sure what to include it's easy to find on the internet), especially crops, abdomens, and breathing. How are they acting ? Do they look uncomfortable, or actually sick ? How hard is their moult ?

You might find out more, but I agree that only testing can make you sure, or eliminate some of the most common virus. And even so. If Mapple's friends are only uncomfortable and unwell because they are moulting in very cold weather, you may just not find out why she passed.
Sending virtual hugs. Last, don't hesitate to write some kind of tribute post or show more pictures, if you feel like it. I've covered my rest room with pictures of my chickens who have passed.

Thanks great post.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hello,

I am hoping someone could tell me what could of possibly happened to our girl, Maple. (I will attach some photos.)

We look after our chickens very well, I generally think this could be a cold weather incident. We had a shift in weather recently and it was sudden so I am feeling terrible we didn't turn on a heat lamp sooner. But i'll let you guys decide if you think that could be the reason. We spoil our chickens, I mean we spent about $4,000 just on their coop set up. We love them dearly, they came into our lives around a hard time so they're kinda like our children? Maple and Aspen are our first so it's absolutely devastating this had happened to my personal favorite.

She was completely fine yesterday, she had lost a bit of weight and I did comment on it. Other than that she was eating normal; even when I dropped treats she was eating yesterday, she wasn't laying eggs like the other girls too because they're all molting.

She wasn't egg bound, I do check when they don't lay eggs. No predator attack, no sour crop, none of them shown signs of breathing issues.

I am at loss.
Maybe worms? When they get anything I am on the ball with treating them.
I really hope you guys can shine the light here, I feel terrible.

I am so sorry you lost Maple. I know what it is like to lose feathered friends and just want to send you lots of hugs.

I have dipped in to the rest of the thread and don't have much to say except that I think the discussion of heat seems totally irrelevant to you and your situation.
Don't feel too bad. Sometimes chickens just die They are good at hiding illness and sometimes we never know why.
Treat what you can treat - worms and Coccidia - better yet, if you can get a fecal float test done that will help you medicating them for something they don't have. Give supportive care: clean water, and some probiotics.
And give them lots of love.
I hope the rest of your flock pulls through. I myself am just emerging from the darkness of losing multiple of my friends over a very short period of time, so I feel your pain, but can also say that you will pull through this and get joy from your birds once again.